Little Wonders
by RacRules
Summary: A series of vignettes about missing scenes with Lightning and Sally, mostly around Cars 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Just saw Cars 2, and though there are a lot of things about that movie that bugged me, the HORRIBLE lack of Sally was **_**way **_**up there. So, to make up for that, I'm writing a series of vignettes about them, mostly revolving around missing scenes from Cars 2. Just little fluffy stories that we all know we enjoy. (:**

**It's been a while since I've written Cars (I had a few old fics I've taken down due to me not liking them), so hopefully I'm not too rusty.**

* * *

**Story 1: Whirlwind**

**Right after McQueen comes home from his first Piston Cup**

* * *

Before Sally started dating McQueen, she never knew what it was like to really have people talk about you. But as soon as the press snapped their first picture together, it was a whirlwind of attention that sometimes managed to sweep her up into its craziness—more than she'd ever admit.

It started right after he was taken away from her the first time—below the reports of the evil, tiny town that was keeping him hostage, there was always a blurry picture of him calling to her, or them talking beside Mack. "_Who is the Mystery Woman?"_ they would always say, _"And why was McQueen calling her name?"_ She didn't know—possibly because you were interrupting a very important night between them?

Then, after he made Radiator Springs his home, it was always just the usual tabloid crap she'd gotten used to seeing about _other_ women. _"Is McQueen and his girlfriend on the verge of breakup?" "Is McQueen getting eyes for someone new?" "Is McQueen's now four-year-long relationship holding him back?"_ She was more often referred to as "The relationship" or "McQueen's girlfriend" then any variation of "Sally Carrera". Lightning had, on more than one occasion, told her that fact was always what offended him the most.

"I can't believe someone would look at _you_ and not know you are way more important than just my girlfriend!" he'd say.

"Thank you, Stickers," she'd reply with a small smile.

Of course, she would never even think of dumping him for something as silly as paparazzi. She was too strong and loved him too much to even consider that an option. But it would be nice, really, really nice, if she could be even seen talking with her male motel customers without headlines about her cheating on him, or if he could go down a single MPH during a race without all of his fans in the internet whining that she was "obviously" to blame (in, of course, ALL CAPS), or if none of her quiet nights were interrupted by a screeching, teary-eyed fangirl crying out that he's "too good" for a (insert word Sally couldn't believe a girl that young would know) like her.

There was a reason Sally didn't usually join him on his racing trips. Part of it was the fact that someone had to be back home to care for their motels, and the other was that they both didn't like her getting caught up in the drama. Really, it would distract him more when he was racing if he was worrying about her and how she was doing. He'd be much more at peace knowing that she was watching him from the comfort of their lobby, cheering him on in her heart. And he always knew that she always did.

It was his fourth Piston cup, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. Partially out of pride and joy for him, and partially because that meant he was coming home soon; racing season was finally over.

A rev of an engine.

She smirked over the guest list she was studying.

"About time," she said.

She could hear him chuckle behind her. "I'm home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your reviews! And thank you, Netbug, for your grammar corrections. (: I'll pay more attention next time.**

* * *

**Story 2**

**After the Wheel Well incident**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Lightning followed her so closely she could probably report him for tailgating. The strung lights of the Wheel Well were behind them now, the path darkening into the twisted road in the woods. In the years since opening the motel, Sally had gotten around to placing road lamps along the street after multiple complaints from customers about the darkness, so the trees were lit up in a soft, almost eerie glow. The brightest source of light was the moon, making the tops of the leaves pale green and the water of the waterfall sparkle just so slightly.

"Lightning, trust me, I'm _fine_." She reached a spot where the road was wide enough to turn around, and met him face to face. His blue eyes (God, she loved them) were tightened in a way that only she, and maybe Mater, ever saw—vulnerable and nervous, but in a caring sort of way. "You've gone off on racing trips like this before."

"But…I just got back, and we didn't even get our night alone." He swerved to the right, looking out to the gushing water. With a sigh, he cast his eyes downward. "You sure you don't want to come?"

"I can't leave the Wheel Well or the Cone, especially with all that free publicity you're probably going to be providing us…" She laughed softly, driving up closer beside him.

"Oh please, free publicity I _always _provide you." He smirked, raising one lid.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

There was quiet then, the only sound the rushing of the water in front of them. Sally moved in a tad more, just slightly leaning her bumper on his. The mist ghosted over her hood, cool but not cold, light yet strong enough to collect in tiny pools over the metal.

"How long is this trip going to be, again?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I figure at least a month." He sighed again, shifting his front tire from side to side.

Raising her eyebrows, Sally hit her tire against his. "You don't think I can survive a month without you, _Stickers_?"

"Well, I don't know, Sally…" He grinned that oh so irritating, oh so charming smile of his, pearly white and just slightly leering. He looked her down, following every curve of her frame in a way that made her shiver more than she ever wanted him to see, with that still-quite-large ego of his. "Can you? Or will you just be reduced to a frustrated little mess without the magic of my presence?"

"O-oh _oh._ And what about you?" She slid forward, not enough that he would be able to notice, "Surely you can't make it without me there to boost your esteem when you need it?"

Lightning laughed, right out loud, at that. "Ha! Like I need you to boost my esteem. I thought you considered it plenty high to begin with!"

"Oh, I do." She pressed her front bumper to his, rubbing a bit. She almost thought she heard him softly sigh, but she wasn't sure—and even so, she would never mock him for something like that. Despite his ego, he was still a little insecure about his "sensitive side," as all those women's magazines Sally hated called it. "Quite, quite high. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Really?" Lightning asked in disbelief.

"Well…it would be nice if sometimes…eh, nevermind." She shook her head, smirking at him again. The water was starting to pool on him now too, making his already ridiculously shiny body even more so, especially with the moonlight gracing every smooth curve. Still, it never lit up half as bright as his eyes—Sally was beginning to understand why all those whiny fangirls got so jealous of her. "Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of teenage girls overseas who'd love to boost your ego themselves."

"Sally! I would _never _subject a poor, innocent girl to your jealous wrath!" He gave an exaggerated gasp, eyes opened wide. She gently shoved him with her tire, and he just laughed.

"I'll show you how brutal my _wrath _can be."

He gave _that _grin again, revving his engine deep and low. "It's still our night, after all."

"Race you to the Cone?"

"Kachow."

* * *

**My poor Meeting the Others readers are going to have to wait until I get off my Cars high to see their next chapter, I suppose. Poor dears. I have some more ideas, but if anyone has any moments they'd like to request, I'd be happy to try it out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Netbug insisted, soo…:D I may include a few references to the Lightning and Sally thread on PP in this, so if I steal one of y'all's lines, it's not plagiarism, its **_**tribute. **_**Right? Oh, and you guys are really going to be groaning with Sally at some of the references I made in here.**

**I decided to make this chapter more focused on Lightning, since I just love it when fictional guys show love. (:**

* * *

**Story 3: Four Years**

**At the airport**

* * *

Lightning may be the worst boyfriend in the world.

Sure, he was good to her. He was supportive of her. And he was certainly good looking enough. Ok, he guessed in the grand scheme of things, a woman could find a much worse boyfriend than him. Much, much worse.

But he was always leaving her, and always at the last minute. She didn't complain, of course, and even after four years of knowing her, he couldn't quite tell how much she was really bothered by it. But that was the way Sally was; hard to read, even by those who know her best.

And, given that he was one of the few people to have seen a certain tattoo, he knew her quite well.

"You double checked your bags to make sure you had had everything, right?" Sally drove up beside him, nudging him gently on the side with her tire. Their private jet was being loaded, and the Radiator Springs residents were all saying their tearful goodbyes—mostly from Red. The airport was, of course, bustling with noise in the background, from tearful mothers to crying babies to complaining tourists, but most of it was lost in the distance, them not being near a gate for a public plane. Sometimes being rich and famous did have nice, nice perks.

"Yeah…'sides, it would be a little late now." He motioned towards the last bag being stuffed into the plane's cargo hold. She rolled her eyes before kissing him on the cheek.

"Now don't let you and Mater get into too much trouble on this trip. Wouldn't want my boyfriend returned to me in parts," she said with a smirk.

"So let me get this straight." Lightning lowered his voice down to a whisper, as not to attract the attention of a certain garbage truck currently entertaining himself with the flavored oil at a nearby candy store, "Racing at 250 MPH with who-knows-how-many other cars is not enough to get you worried, but whatever antics I get up to with my best friend _is_?"

"I've known you for four years, Stickers. I _know _what should get me concerned."

"Like what?" He leered at her rolled eyes; he loved getting her a little frustrated, but only enough that she wasn't really _mad_, just letting her guard down. After four years, Lightning had learned which bits of her paint to pick at and which bits not to.

"Not now, Lightning. Your plane is almost ready to board, and I don't want to spend our last couple minutes together with you intentionally getting on my nerves."

Oh, she's good.

"Well then can you call me Stickers again, Pinestipe? I like that nickname." He raised his lids, looking at her from slightly to the side. She groaned, glancing from side to side in hope that nobody heard him—it was absolutely adorable.

"Can you not bring that up?"

"As long as I'm the only one who gets to see it."

"Ugh, why didn't I get that thing painted over years ago?"

"Because you're too embarrassed to show it to Ramone?"

"Oh, shut it. And for the record, not even you 'gets to see it'."

Lightning opened his mouth to say something more, but stopped. He was about to board the plane, and she was right, he didn't want to leave with them irritated with each other, even if it was playfully so.

"I'm going to miss you, Sally," he whispered to her. He didn't like the others hearing him when he got tender; otherwise the older residents of the town started winking and nudging like they expected him to pop the question right then and there…which was another thing that he would never do in front of them (if he ever worked up the courage to do it at all).

Surprised at his sudden change of tone, Sally's eyes softened. "I'm going to miss you too, Stickers. I'll be watching your races."

"As always."

"I love you." She drove forward to kiss him.

"I know." She stopped right in front of him, raising a lid. He couldn't help but break out in an extremely amused smile.

"Did you just reference Car Wars?" she groaned.

"Hey, I thought you _liked _Van Solo."

"Just say I love you too."

"I love you too."

She grinned. He couldn't help but share her smile when she grinned. It was just too beautiful. "Thank you."

"Bye!" he called as he backed away toward the gate. As the Pit Crew started to load onto the plane, Mater began listing all the things they were going to do once they got on board, from TV to snacks to messing with the air masks. Lightning nodded, but was barely listening; his eyes were on Sally.

"Have a great time!" she called back, waving her front tire.

He continued to smile to himself as he boarded the plane. Man. There were sometimes when he really had to stop and think about how lucky he was to have taken that wrong turn four years ago, a wrong turn he had long decided had been the best mistake he ever made in his life. It gave him all these friends, this family, even the ones that couldn't be there to guide him anymore. But most of all, it gave him her.

Not only did she put up with him leaving on such a short notice, she only got annoyed when he was making nerdy references.

She was definitely a keeper.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the not-updating for a week, I was fixing up houses on a church trip. But here's the next one!**

* * *

**Story 4: Jealousy**

**After the party**

* * *

"Call Sally," Lightning commanded his phone, his voice a barely understandable groan.

"Command not recognized," the robotic monotone replied. Revving with frustration, he took a deep breath and repeated the words slowly and clearly, but not without almost painfully gritting his teeth.

"Calling Sally."

Rings once.

Twice.

Lighting's tires start to twist back and forth.

Three times.

"Hey, Stickers."

"Sally, you know what Mater did at the party today?"

He could hear her chuckle on the other side of the phone, and he knew she was probably rolling her eyes at him. Whatever. At this moment, he didn't care; she's heard much whiner from him.

"He not only acted up like…like…"

"Like everything is new to him and he can treat it like he's at home?" He frowned at how dryly she had said it. It's not like he was expecting weeping sympathy, but it would be nice if she didn't sound like she had been expecting this.

"Well, yeah." He moaned, closing his eyes at the humiliating memory, "and then he leaked. In front of _everyone_."

"Mater never leaks."

"Well he did now."

"Lightning, you can't possibly tell me it surprised you. He's _Mater_."

He scowled at the phone. Maybe it would be different if he could see her face, but this was not making him feel any better at all. "You're the one who told me to bring him."

"Because he's your best friend. Don't you think he deserves a little of your patience?"

"Sally, everyone was making fun of him…of _us. _And then he told Francesco that…that…"

"He told him what? That you talk in your sleep? Because you do, by the way."

"Do not," Lightning grumbled. "No, he told home that…" his voice fell to almost a whisper, "that you're a huge fan of his."

"Lightning, I can't hear you."

"That you're a huge fan of his! And that you went on and on about his damn open wheels…I mean, it's not like you mentioned it more than once. So now he thinks my girlfriend is all over him and he even tried to dedicate his not-going-to-happen win to you."

"Really? He is?" she said in a voice to happy for his taste.

"Sally!" Lightning exclaimed, zipping toward the phone.

"I mean, it's just kind of cool, you know? Even though, of course, said win is never going to happen at all."

A small consolation. Too small. "Thanks," he mumbled, slumping to the ground. Great. She liked him. She actually liked him. No, she couldn't, right? They've been together for four years. There's no way their relationship was so weak that she would leave him for a car she'd only seen on a TV screen, right?

But if she ever actually _met_ him…

"Lightning, do you really think he's competition?"

"I mean, he's not nearly as fast as me—"

"No, I mean for my affections."

"Oh." He was silent. His eyes cast off to the side. He didn't really want to answer that.

"Lightning, I love you. You know that. At least, I hope you do."

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

"Nobody, especially some jerk racecar like him, is going to ever change that. _Ever_. And for the record, I _love _your fenders."

"You do?" There was a sheepishness to his voice, he knew it, even if he was trying to sound confident.

"Completely. And if Bernoulli thinks for one second that I am even the least bit more interested in him then you, well, that's pretty unfortunate for him, because he is going to be extremely disappointed."

"Really?"

"Really."

Lightning gave a devilish smile at the thought of Francesco getting ruthlessly rejected by Sally; her rolling her eyes and u-turning right in his jaw-dropped face. It was a truly beautiful image.

He gave a softer smile towards her name on his screen. "I love you."

"I know."

A frown.

"What?"

"Sweet revenge," she laughed, and the phone snapped back into the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

**Back to Sally for this chapter! This one won't have Lightning, but it'll be another "Sally deals with the media" oneshot.**

**Is it weird that I love and hate myself at the same time for the Car puns I make in this fic?**

* * *

**Story 5: The Knot Question**

**Anytime during the movie, before Lightning calls Sally about Mater**

* * *

"I'll have your rooms ready in just a few moments," Sally said to a pair of older minivans, two giggly women with dust above their wheels and blocky, dimmed headlights.

"Oh my goodness, it's her!" one snickered to the other, shaking her tires with excitement.

"What's me?" Sally asked, entering their names into the computer; Gina Ford and Lisa Monterey.

"You're Lightning McQueen's girlfriend!" Gina exclaimed between squeaking laughs. The women looked at each other and giggled once more.

"Um, yes." Putting on her most sincere-looking smile, Sally nodded, "I am Lightning's girlfriend." She'd gone through this scenario more times than she could count, having long written a script for it in her mind.

Lisa sighed. "Oh, you're just as beautiful as you are in the pictures from the _Carsmopolitan_ magazine."

"Oh, thank you." Page one, line 6. Just as always.

The lady looked to back and forth, and then inched towards her,"So, I hear you two are…cutting down on the room and board, if you know what I mean."

_That_ was not in her script. Sally looked back up at her, raising an eyelid. "Well, I…don't, really." Truth was, she had an idea, but she didn't want to acknowledge it.

Lisa lost herself in tiny, high pitched chuckles. Sighing, Sally rang them up with a _ding!_

"You two are staying in Cone #3. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Cozy Cone," she spat out quickly, making it a little clearer that she was trying to get rid of them than she would have liked. Despite that, however, the two women didn't seem to notice.

"I just find it rather…suspicious that he hasn't proposed to you yet. It's been what, 4, 5 years?" Gina mused, smirking in a way that made Sally very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, but that is really no business of yours. Your cone is ready, so if you'd—"

"Oh, but darling, I've read up all about you two's lives. Your secrets are safe with me!" the minivan smiled sweetly at her, as if reading probably made up stories in a public magazine actually made her the equivalent of a longtime friend. Sally could feel her engine whirring, but she calmed it, instead accepting the "grin-and-bear-it" approach. Oh, sometimes she really wished she didn't work in customer service. There were the nice, enjoyable customers, and then there were…the others.

And these two were dangerously close to "others" territory.

"Dear," Lisa cooed at her, not smiling like Gina but looking at her with rather condescending sympathy, "he's overseas now, isn't he?"

"Yes," Sally replied flatly, not looking up at them. Chrysler, its not like he's in the service! Its just a dang racing trip!

"Aren't you at all worried about him getting, well, a wandering eye?"

This time, she did look up, her own eyes narrowing at them, "Do you mean him cheating on me?"

"Well, yes. He's travelling around the world, there will be many beautiful young ladies there, and goodness knows you two have had problems with that in the past…"

"Problems?"

"Oh, dear, I read all about his… flames."

Flames.

A deep, angered sigh. She had a few answers to that, most of which were reluctantly and painfully swallowed down deep inside her. She wanted to tell them how shy he was with her in the beginning, how much time he spends unnecessarily brooding over his racing schedule and leaving her. She wanted to tell them how he calls her almost every night, and the few times he's timidly mumbled something about marriage and how she pretended not to hear him. She wanted tell them how they laugh over any stupid reports about either of them cheating on each other, because it was so horribly ridiculous. She wanted to tell them that her life was not their soap opera, thankyouverymuch, and if they could please limit their giggly gossip to fictional characters, everyone would be happier that way.

"I assure you two," she started, very carefully and very slowly, "our relationship is very, very stable. We have not had problems with him cheating on me in the past; any of those stories are just silly rumors. And our rooming or marriage situation is not your concern. Thank you. You are in Cone #3."

The women blinked, shrugged, and drove away.

"So rude!" Gina whispered to Lisa, not exactly quietly enough to qualify.

"Oh yes! We were just trying to be friendly!"

Sally closed her eyes and for a few moments, breathing in and out. Why was this encounter getting to her so much? This was not nearly the worst one she'd had (no, that would be in between the pre-teen girl sobbing to her in the middle of the street that she and Lightning were destined to be and Sally was just getting in between their _true love_, or the one that sent anonymous, outlandish threats because they thought she was a soul-sucking seductress who only wanted him for his money, and was possibly from another planet) but for some reason, some of their comments…they just burned.

Truth be told, she did wonder about marrying Lightning. More often then she would like or ever admit. And she was _not _the type to sit around and wait for him to propose; she could bring it up herself. So…why _hadn_'_t _it happened yet?

It hardly seemed like a day goes by anymore that either Flo or even Lizzie didn't give her the "tying the knot yet?" look when they see her with him. Practically the entire town is waiting on it. It's been a while since they've had a good old, local wedding, she guessed. But, the more she thought about it, the more she had to face the fact that there wasn't a real reason they hadn't gotten engaged yet, except for good, old fashioned busyness, shyness and nervousness. And, again, she had to face the fact that her boyfriend was not the only source of the latter two.

It was a huge step in her life too. A step she's come to be very cautious about, because…well, he was a famous, attractive racecar and…no, no, that's ridiculous. She should be long passed those worries. She almost couldn't believe those idiotic stories were getting to her.

Tired in body and mind, Sally shut down the front desk for the night, the lights shutting off with a click.


	6. Chapter 6

**If there is one thing that bugged me about Cars 2, it's the fact that Sally had almost watched her boyfriend get killed—and if Sarge hadn't switched the fuel, he would have been—and had absolutely no reaction. No angst, no worry, no "oh-my-God-thank-the-Lord-Jesus-Chrysler-the-man-I-love-is-not-a-smear-of-ash-on-the-road" scene. So I wrote one myself.**

* * *

The world, it seemed, had finally calmed down.

Not that Lightning wasn't used to craziness. Hell, he was even somewhat used to the violence that sometimes came with racing. While always tragic, a car having a bad crash on the racetrack is never a total surprise. The best thing you can do when you see one is hope that your loved one wasn't involved, and pray for those whose loved ones were.

But this? This was insane.

After the initial adrenaline rush of such simple tasks as tethering himself to his best friend and shouting like a madman (hey, he was caught up in the emotion…and he already had the feeling that a lot of news companies are going to be playing that for a good two years in the future, and the internet a good four), almost getting blown up, having his friends save him from international criminals and finding out his race's sponsor was trying to kill him, he was a little, shall he say, tuckered out.

"So buddy, that is how your attempted murder happened," Mater finished, not quite hiding the pride in himself…ah, he deserved it. Mater had done more tonight than Lightning had ever thought possible for one car.

So, somehow, a weapon perfectly designed to kill him just stopped. Out of a strange chance, he was left to live another day. Well, it was quite the stroke of luck.

Then, he looked past him—to see Sally, teary eyed and breathing slower than he had ever seen her do. He almost winced, knowing that she had heard the full story then. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about how she'd react to all this!

"Thanks for trying to warn me," Lightning said, smiling back to Mater, "now go bask in your glory."

"Aw, really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Aw, thanks buddy! See you real soon, right?"

"Yeah, real soon," Lightning answered, barely noticing as Mater rushed off to accept his new-found fame.

He drove up to Sally. Her blue eyes bore into him, and her tires were just slightly trembling. After a few moments, she finally looked down

"I…I…I just…" She sighed, biting her lip and squeezing her teary eyes shut. "I can't…I just want you to know…"

"Shh. I know. I know." Just then, like a bullet, the real weight of what just had occurred struck him. From some chance, he was saved a gruesome death in front of his girlfriend. He didn't know what had caused this to happen, but it was enough to make him want to sink to the ground and thank whoever was up there for hours on end. He was alive. Alive and with her.

"If you had died, I don't know…" Sally sobbed once again. She didn't cry often. At most, he occasionally saw his with slightly moist eyes at a particularly brutal scene in a tragic movie. But full, weeping tears? Rare. Maybe even unheard of.

"I know, Sally. It's fine."

"It's _fine_?" she snapped suddenly, shooting toward him almost up to his face. "You could have been _killed_, and its 'fine'! ?" She gasped, forcing back her tears and instead shooting him a glare, "Do you have any idea what it would be like for me if you died? For me…for me to have lost you forever?"

He stared at her. She stared back, expectant.

Lightning took one deep, long breath. Actually, yes. He had an idea. He had an idea that was going to stay in his nightmares for weeks, maybe even years. He knew that he could have very well been long gone, that this celebration may have very well been a mourning. Had he been less proud, he probably would have been crying just as hard as she.

"The important thing is that I'm here now, right?" He smiled at her, touching his tire to hers and kissing her cheek. "I'm not dead. I'm right here. I always will be."

She swallowed, sighed again, and nodded, slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. This was crazy and emotional for both of us."

She nodded again. "I'm going to go join the festivities."

"You do that."

"You coming?"

"In a bit. Just give me a few minutes."

"Suit yourself."

He watched her disappear into the crowds of people outside of the confines of the royal palace.

What if he had died today? What would she have done? How would she have lived her life after an experience like that?

This was a miracle, at least that's what it seems to be now. He didn't know how he was saved from the weapon. He may never know. But as he watched the only woman he ever really loved drive out, his own mortality struck him harder than it ever had before. This wouldn't be the first or last time his life is risked on the track, not even close. There is always going to be a chance of that huge crash, maybe even twisting and twirling helplessly in the air before landing on his tires as a beat up mess. And he may not have a recently-changed rookie to push him out.

Life is short and fragile, and he had to make the most of it. He didn't want to waste one experience he could have with her. Taking things for granted is the quickest way to turn yourself into a tragedy.

Then, right then, he decided what had to be done.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ah, the grand finale of Little Wonders! I hope you guys didn't miss me too much, I've been trying to get my summer homework done. *sigh* Guess I have to really enjoy my last two weeks of freedom…**

**Also, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss it reference to the PP thread again…**

* * *

**Story 7: Forever**

**After the race at Radiator Springs at the end of the movie**

* * *

Sally watched from a distance as the bundles of hay were loaded off the racetrack. Mater and Lightning had tied in their little race, even though, in her opinion, Mater using the rockets was kind of cheating…

Eh, no big deal.

She read over her last records of the night, the races bringing in more than a good turnout for both the Cone and the Wheel. It was well past midnight now so the streets outside were almost silent, except for the few stragglers just now leaving Flo's. The stars blanketed above her on the sea of black and the VW Bugs chirped away the silence of the night.

"Sally?"

She jumped slightly at the sudden voice, even though she knew exactly who it was.

"Lightning, don't sneak up on me like that!" she laughed, turning around to meet him. But then…his face, it was unlike any expression she had even seen him give her. She had seen him vulnerable, romantic, nervous, anxious…but this look, this look was all of those combined, but with something a little new. His eyes darted back and forth, his mouth turned up in a small but incredibly loving smile, his tires turned in. He stared at her like he was drinking in every detail.

"Sally, can we go up to the Wheel Well?"

"There won't really be any customers out."

"That's kind of what I'm going for."

Raising a lid, she nodded, "Okay then."

They drove up in almost silence. The road was dark, very dark, with even the lamps turned off. Thank God Stickers had real headlights now, or she'd had been lighting the way for both of them. Lightning seemed lost in nervous thought, and he breathed deeply in and out and in and out…periodically, he would take a glance at her from the side, but nothing more.

"Lightning, are you okay?" Worry started to grow in her heart. This was feeling an awful lot like a breakup…

No, no, she couldn't even consider that. That couldn't be it. She wouldn't know what she'd do if it was…

As they passed by the waterfall, Lightning paused slightly, taking a glance at it. She saw him give a deep, nostalgic sigh, before looking back at her and smiling softly.

"Let's keep going," he said.

When they reached the open area of the Wheel Well, the moon shone through the sky, casting pale light over the deep orange canyons in the distance. Gazing out at them, Lightning finally spoke.

"Sally, I want to show you something." He drove up to the edge. She raised a lid again, but followed him, confused and a little scared. The canyon lay out beyond them, just a darker version of the sight they saw when they took their first drive. It felt so long ago, like a lifetime, despite only being four years.

"Four years ago, I took a wrong turn on this beaten road called Route 66 and landed in a tiny town called Radiator Springs." He continued to look off into the canyon, never turning to her at all. She watched him intently.

"I thought at first that it was the worst thing that could have happened to me, that I had landed in, well, 'hillbilly Hell," if you please." He chuckled, that nostalgic sigh coming out again. "But the more time I spent in there, the more I had realized that this was a gift, and a chance to finally find who I was and what I needed in my life."

"Lightning, where are you going with—"

"Don't worry, I'll get there. I met the most amazing people, from a mentor named Doc Hudson, to a best friend named Mater, and most of all, to the woman I love, named Sally Carrera."

Sally clenched her mouth in relief. Well, this did not sound like a breakup. But then, what was it?

"And with these recent experiences I've realized something, that life…it passes you by. We don't have that long to make the most of the gifts we were given. And if there is one gift I know I need to make the most of, it's you."

He turned to meet her. He stared into her eyes, and took one last deep sigh.

Then, Sally knew.

Her mind whirled. Her engine whirred. Her tires wanted to bounce. She almost couldn't believe it. He was doing it. It was really happening. Was this a dream? Was this just some fantasy created for herself to calm her mind?

She shut her eyes tight, and then opened them. No, he was still there, and no, he was still giving her that look.

This was real. This was now. This was the rest of her life. Because even though he didn't seem to know it, he was her saving grace just as much as she was his. And he will be, forever. Until they've aged into a pair of Lizzies, watching over the town they helped rebuild as it touches and changes new lives.

She knew her answer before he opened his mouth.

"Sally, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

* * *

**Thanks for reading my little summer-long story! I loved getting all your wonderfully kind feedback. And we all know this was the biggest scene missing from the sequel, right? :D**


End file.
